Beating the Odds
by mystic-angel1
Summary: Lenne was eager to learn something new in a big city. Shuyin was just trying to help. A strange twist of fate brought them together and Lenne learns more than she expected. [Lenne X Shuyin.]


Disclaimer: I do not own FFX-2 in any way, shape or form.

A/N: Oh...I KNOW I said I wasn't going to post any new stories...But this was just an inspiration, and I'm loving it and I HAD to post it before the inspiration was gone. And I WILL update my other stories soon. I think I've got my writing kick back.

Okay. Here's the deal yo yo:

Lenne and Shuyin are Lenne and Shuyin.

But I've also included, as you will see later on in the story, Rikku, Paine, Baralai, Gippal and the rest of them. This isn't exactly an AU. I'm thinking that these were the ancestors OR the FFX-2 were reincarnated from these guys. Whichever YOU would like to think.

There won't be any Tidus or Yuna in the story, obviously.

Full Summary: Lenne was just a naive Killikan, eager to learn something new in a big city. Shuyin was just trying to help. A strange twist of fate brought them together, causing them to judge without a second glimpse. But fate had another plan, forcing them together in a place where they can't escape. School. Lenne learns more than she expects; Friendship, Fun, Life, and maybe love. And Shuyin, poor Shuyin, was still only trying to help.

Please enjoy!

* * *

Lenne stood at the corner of a dark, narrow street in the very heart of Zanarkand and knew she was lost. She peered down at the crumpled old map in her hand and declared it useless. It was obviously very old and it wasn't in very good condition at all. That dot could be the Al Bhed church but the young woman was almost certain that it was a grease stain. Letting out a large and frustrated sigh, she tucked the dingy paper in her pocket and took a look around.

Zanarkand was as beautiful as she had heard but more so then she had expected. The gossips of Spira were often so ridiculous that you couldn't trust them, but the wonder that was Zanarkand was not a mere rumor. The buildings were so gigantic it made her dizzy to look at them, sparking with lights and priding in being part of Spira's most technologically advanced country. The streets were paved and clean, rising even into the air on bridges almost as tall as the buildings. The entire country was filled with cleanliness and light. And despite the fact that she was hopelessly lost she knew that she wouldn't regret leaving her home country of Kilika.

'Its your fault you're lost.' Her mother's voice snapped in her head as she pulled the faulty map from her pocket again. 'Going off to that heathen place.'

Her parents and neighbors called it heathen. Lenne, who had resented her insignificant life on the small island country, called it a magnificent learning experience. Zanarkand was wonderfully massive, in size and in culture. Nearly every religion and race was accepted here, even Bevellians, until war had broken out. So many opportunities and different experiences were available here. And Lenne was determined to see all of the things such a wonderful country had to offer.

Still, as she grimaced at the old map, she wondered if being nearly disowned by her family was worth it. Lenne had always been the dysfunctional one, the middle child who looked like neither of her parents and asked too many questions. All seven of her brothers and sisters were prospering either socially or successfully. Lenne had always had trouble concentrating or making friends. Her only friend was her Master, who lived in the temple and had taught Lenne in the art of Summoning, on her parents orders. It was that very thing that had brought her to Zanarkand. Her summoning. Because although she did not like it, she was extremely talented.

The Zanarkand Academy for Spira's Gifted Youth was new and Spira's largest gossip discussion. Young people from all over Spira had been selected to attend there and it was considered to be a great honor. The school was very chic; rumored (of course) to be very strict. It educated youth in skills that would one day help Spira and its people in many ways, or so the brochure had said. Only the gifted; the most talented in almost every area from cooking to Blitzball had been specifically selected to attend.

So little, insignificant, Killikan Lenne had been more than a little overwhelmed when she'd received the Sphere-o-gram with the invitation. Her skills in Summoning were very promising, and the Zanarkand Academy for Spira's Gifted Youth wished to aid her in becoming her full potential. This had created an uproar in her family, happiness from most of her siblings and pure anger from her parents. Lenne had somehow gone behind their backs to get into a Heathen school, or so they thought. But her Master had simply given her a secretive smile and an old crusty map that she now had in her hands.

"Excuse me."

A hand touched her shoulder and Lenne was shaken out of her thoughts so quickly that she jumped a little and turned around, prepared to smack the hell out of whoever had frightened her. So far she'd been assaulted by many different people who didn't speak Common, most likely trying to sell her things. She was aware of the dangers of such a large city, but the person she had been preparing to hit didn't seem particularly threatening.

He was medium height but very well built, the general build of a Blitzball player; she'd learned this from her brother who's ultimate success was in the sports area. Blond hair fell in strands to his neck, framing a face so innocent looking she felt for a moment that she could take him on if he caused her any trouble. But the spark in his blue eyes told her otherwise, causing her to feel vulnerable and very cautious. This gorgeous stranger tilted his head to the side, as if he found her a bit curious.

"C-can I help you?" She muttered hurriedly, taking a step back. "I don't want to buy whatever you're selling. Please leave me alone."

"Speaks Common." He observed. "Lost and telling me to go away. How quaint."

The immediate annoyance she felt from the tone of his voice gave her a small amount of courage. Curious and stubborn Lenne. That's who she'd been her whole life. Who was she to think that this would change because she was in a new country? Squaring her shoulders, she faced him, looking him straight in the eye and watching as they flickered with amusement.

"I'm not lost." She lied firmly. "I'm perfectly fine."

He raised an eyebrow, looking around the deserted street and then pointedly looking at the crumpled map in her hands. She quickly stuffed the paper in her pocket again, tucking her dark hair behind her ears and preparing to turn and walk away. He rolled his eyes and reached a gloved hand around her waist, pulling out the map from her pocket and studying it. A rage so strong grew in her stomach that she was surprised by it and her sudden dislike for the person she'd just met. His posture reeked of someone who always got what they wanted because everyone wanted him. He had the total confidence that Lenne never had, and she found herself envying him. But who was she to envy or dislike? She didn't even know his name.

She snatched the map from his hands. "I told you I'm fine! I'd appreciate it if you left me alone since I didn't ask for your help!"

"Woah!" He lifted his hands in self-defense. "Take it easy. I just wanted to help. You looked lost, and I can tell from your clothes that you're not from around here. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Sheesh."

She set a fiery glare at him, her heart pounding with anger but her head swimming with confusion. Never in her life had she been so easily angered before. Were all Zanarkanians like this? She didn't care to find out and quickly turned away from this obnoxious, overconfident, annoying, assuming, probably racist (wait, had she just assumed?) gorgeous stranger and quickly strode away from him and down the street.

"You're going the wrong way!" He called after her. "Unless you want to go into the part of town where young, common, pretty girls like you aren't exactly safe. If you know what I mean."

She stopped in midstep, not sure if she should take that as a compliment or not, and turned around with the distinct feeling that he was laughing at her. As she expected, his lips were turned up in a half-smirk, his eyes glittering with amusement. Suddenly, he didn't look so innocent.

"Probably where you were coming from." She hissed at him, striding quickly past him with as much dignity as she could muster. He spun around quickly and grabbed her arm, spinning her around and facing her towards a street she hadn't considered taking before, as it was dark and quite narrow.

"Oh, and she's got fire!" He teased. "That road will take you to the Main Square and you should be able to find wherever it is you're going. Your map is way old, by the way. You might want to consider investing in a new one."

She glared at him and felt a little childish as she stomped her foot. "I didn't ask for your help!"

"Consider it a gift." He leaned towards her, his face mere inches from hers. "Along with a little advice. You strike me as a person who doesn't listen. If you don't listen in Zanarkand, hun, you're going to find yourself in trouble faster than you can say Ihfyhdat"

She attempted to speak, to come up with some witty remark but couldn't. He was right, in some small way that wasn't really any of his business. She never listened, never knew how to shut up and take what was given. She was more peeved that he could read her so well, especially since he was a stranger. She'd never made friends because people didn't understand her. And now this Zanarkand native knew her strongest weakness without even knowing her name.

"Tata." He called, sticking his hands in his pocket and making his way slowly down the street.

Lenne was still fuming, flushed and going over the conversation in her head by the time she reached the front steps of the school she was now to call home. Her dark eyes left the ground for a small moment, simply to look up at what she suspected would be the end of her. When she caught sight of the welcoming place that was her new school, the infuriating stranger was suddenly far from the front of her mind. The school was absolutely magnificent. It looked like a castle, made out of a white stone and stretching farther and longer then Lenne had ever seen a school building stretch. Small, insignificant Lenne suddenly thought that this might be too big, too important for someone like her.

'This is it.' She thought, grasping the rail as she climbed up the steps. 'This is a chance for you to make a new better life.'

She was amazed at how easily the door opened when she turned the handle. She really thought that there should have been more security at such a grand place, bodyguards or something to that effect. But nothing greeted her to her new home except a large, circular dome made out of the oldest shiny stone. Pillars stretched high in a brief imitation of the temples Lenne had grown up in, and her footsteps echoed throughout the room as she walked. She was startled once again as a woman charged out from behind a doorway, attacking Lenne at full force with clicking high heels and shaking hands.

"You must be Lenne." The woman smiled briefly. "My name is Mrs. Prude."

Lenne coughed. "Excuse me?"

"Mrs. Prude." The woman continued. "Yes. I am the Vice Principal at the school. Welcome to The Zanarkand Academy for Spira's Gifted Youth. I am sure you will enjoy your time here. Here is a full list of rules and expectations." She handed Lenne a few papers. "And your room number, key and schedule. You will have to start classes tomorrow, if that's not too much trouble. Your locker number is on your schedule and you will see that we have provided you with any supplies you will need for the moment. I suggest you unpack your things and get some rest. You arrived quite late."

Lenne blinked at this woman, completely overwhelmed. It took her a moment to realize that she wanted an explanation for the young girl's tardiness, and Lenne immediately began to shred the sides of her paper in nervous habit. She stumbled over her words at first, frightened under this woman's hard stare.

"I-I was lost." She explained. "A young man..er..helped me find my way back."

"How very fortunate of you." Mrs. Prude said. "Yes. Welcome."

Lenne stared as the woman clicked away, hair tied back in such a tight bun that Lenne wondered why the woman didn't snap. Her attention was then turned to more important things as she tilted her head to look around the room, wondering how she was the find the forth floor if she didn't even know where she was in the first place.

"Hi, so you must be the new girl, huh?"

Lenne turned to face the airy voice that floated and echoed across the room. A short blonde was skipping her way towards Lenne, hair tied up in an assortment of clips and ties. She was dressed in pyjamas, her tiny hands clutching a mug of coffee and a plate of cookies.

"Midnight Munchies." The girl said guiltily. "You must be exhausted. I remember my first day here, I was all worried about being teased because I was an Al Bhed so I got all worked up but it turns out that lots of Al Bhed go here so it didn't really matter anyway."

Lenne, who was surprised greatly by the fact that this girl obviously had no difficulty discussing race, only then noticed the delicate green swirls that resided in her eyes and set her aside from every other race of Spira. The small girl had already swooped down and taken one of Lenne's bags, balancing the coffee and cookies in one hand.

"I'll take you to your room." The girl said chirpily. "You can get lost pretty big here. Are you going to unpack? Or you can just go straight to sleep. Oh, but are you hungry? I can take ya to the kitchen if you want. But you probably just want to get into your room, huh?"

"Uh." Was all Lenne managed, but the girl didn't seem to care as she pushed through a little door and pulled Lenne's suitcase up a flight of stairs. She was curious as to how this girl knew where to take her things when Lenne hadn't mentioned her room number, but three sets of stairs and a panting Lenne later they arrived in front of the same number Mrs. Prude had given her.

"How'd you know where my room was?" Lenne asked her after she'd caught her breath.

"Your roommate is my good buddy Paine." She said easily. "She's been complaining about you all week."

"Oh." Lenne said, a little sadly. Great. She hadn't even met the person and she was already making enemies.

"But don't worry." She smiled. "She's a nice person on the inside, just a little grouchy."

"Who is?"

The girl squeaked and spun around, backing into the oak door behind her and clutching it with terrified fingernails. The source of the voice tilted her head in amusement, holding a small mug of steaming coffee and placing a hand stiffly on her hip. The girl was wearing leather almost from head to toe, several piecings decorating her ears. Her eyes were a strange colour of red, silver hair falling around her face. Lenne had never seen someone like this before and was fascinated rather than terrified like her new friend.

"A-ah, Paine!" The girl squeaked. "W-we were just talking a-about...Baralai!"

Paine raised an eyebrow. "Baralai? Grouchy? And female?"

She giggled weakly and scratched her chin. "Ah..."

Paine rolled her eyes, shoving past a staring Lenne and a terrified Al Bhed, who had covered her face in fear of being hit. Paine fished in her pocket, pulling out a silver keysphere similar to Lenne's. She jabbed it into the spherehole, and Lenne could have sworn she saw her wink as Paine darted inside.

"Ten respect points, Rikku." Paine said, before shutting the door.

Rikku slowly uncoiled, wiping her forehead clear of the sweat she was sure wasn't there. Lenne blinked a few times at the door, then at the bright smile on the blonde's face. Not even a day, and she was already confused by the people who were here. Maybe this was too weird for her...

"Respect points?" Lenne asked, taking her keysphere from Rikku' s painted and chipped fingers.

"She let me off easy." Rikku grinned, opening the door for her. "You'll learn all about them."

"Oh." Lenne turned around at the door. "Um, thank you."

"No prob!" She said brightly. "I'm Rikku, by the way!"

"Rikku." Lenne smiled, letting the foreign sound of an Al Bhed name role off of her tongue. "I'm Lenne."

"Nice to meet you Lenne!" Rikku shook her hand violently. "We're going to be friends, I can tell!"

Lenne stared. Rikku didn't seem to notice her shock, bidding her goodnight and zooming her way down the hall and climbing yet another set of stairs. Friends...were something she had never really had. And now, her first day here, she had made friends with an Al Bhed. Lenne smiled, shutting the door and walking through the hall and into her new home. Her parents would be furious.

The room was square shaped and quite large. A large window could be seen on the farthest wall, letting in a dull light on the dark room and the sounds of people walking in the streets below. From what she could see, the carpeting was a dark blue colour. Posters and other things littered the wall of one side of the room, a checkered bed-spread indicating that the room was already inhabited. The other side of the room was completely empty, a boring blue coverlet on the bed and the walls bare. It was clear where Lenne would be sleeping, and she realized that she would be allowed to decorate how she wished. What to do with so much freedom?

She set her bags down at the end of her bed, exhausted from her traveling and wanting nothing more than to sleep in her new bed. She could look more tomorrow, unpack tomorrow. She flopped onto her bed, too tired to even change her clothes. The ceiling had skylights, and Lenne stared at the view of stars and galaxies with such awe that she hadn't even heard her room mates chuckles at first.

"You like it here?" Paine asked, smirking at Lenne's obvious awe.

"Its amazing!" Lenne replied, forgetting her shyness in the wake of such beauty. "Its like nothing I've ever seen before!"

"Yeah. You'll get used to it." Paine glared at her from across the room. "First there are some rules."

It took Lenne a moment to draw herself away from the stars. "Alright."

"I've never had a roommate before, so don't expect me to be all nice to you. If you're going to be messy, keep it on your side and clean up after yourself. Don't bring your parties in here or your little boyfriend. You have fifty respect points. You do something I don't like, you lose 'em. You do something I do like, you can get them back. Got it?"

"Yes." Lenne said, used to most of those rules from her parents. "I understand."

"Good." Paine turned on to her side. "And no snoring."

Lenne grinned despite herself, turning on to her back and staring up at the stars again. There was something about Paine that amused her, made her less uncomfortable. Lenne could survive as long as she followed the rules. Paine wouldn't judge, wouldn't point fun. As long as she behaved herself. In a strange place, with strange people, Paine was something that reminded her of home. Rules.

"So.." Paine said, almost conversationally. "What do you think of Rikku?"

"She's nice..." Lenne replied and Paine grunted. "But er...are all Al Bhed that dynamic?"

Paine let out a laugh, chuckling deeply. "I like you already."

Lenne giggled quietly, sinking her head into her pillows and finally closing her eyes to the bright lights that fascinated her. She could do this. She would be strong, she was making friends. She was going to learn new things, be her best, get out of her shell. And no one could stop her.

The gorgeous stranger couldn't control her anymore!

She snapped her eyes open for a moment. She meant her parents. That's who she was trying to prove herself to. Not the blond haired boy who had helped her find her way, despite her arguments. She was here to prove her parents wrong. He had nothing to do with it.

But the image of laughing blue eyes and teasing blond hair assaulted her mind and it was a long time before she got to sleep.

* * *

Yes, its late. And I have to write an exam tomorrow. So I'm going to try and get this up as quick as possible so I can get some sleep. Please Review, and tell me what you think!


End file.
